Alabasta War (1 EE)
Setting The Alabsta War was a major conflict that took place during the first year of the Establishing Era on Sandy Island, the location of the Alabasta Kindgom. Cause of and build up to the War The war started as a result of a formerly unknown pirate who called himself Sandbeard. Sandbeard had obtained the powers of the Suna Suna no Mi and had decided to use his newly gained Logia powers to seize control over Alabasta. After a bloody battle, in which the majority of Alabasta's ruling family and guard were wiped out, Sandbeard usurped the throne and declared Alabasta his own. This act of defiance to the World Government drew Pirates from all over the world to the banner of Sandbeard, who soon had enough followers to form his own private army of pirates, mercenaries, and other dangerous peoples. The World Government, having recieved Sandbeard's declaration, was forced to take action and began mobilizing it's forces for an all out assault on Sandy Island. Upon recieving reports of Sandbeard's growing numbers, Marine HQ was forced to draw much of their forces from the four blues, including the legendary Vincent Moral, for the upcoming battle. The War The World Government wasted no time once it's forces were ready. Immediatly upon arrival the Marines clashed with the outer guard of the occupation. The outlying battles quickly came to an end with WG victories thanks to the Admirals and Vincent. Sandbeard retaliates Despite their early victories, the closer they got to Alubarna, the capital of Alabasta, the more casualities they suffered as the Sandbeard Pirates began putting up more of a fight. During one battle Sandbeard himself appeared, using his power to pit the desert itself against the Marines. This resulted in nearly 40% of the attackers being wiped out, buried by sand or killed by the defenders. Unfortunatly Sandbeard fled before he could be captured and the Marines were left with a stinging blow to their moral. Attacking the capital Eventually the Marine forces managed to establish a fortified position near Alubarna. By this point the forces of the attackers had been reduced to 30% of the total strength it started with. However reinforcements had begun to arrive and soon the battle began for the capital. The Marines began their assault by using mortar cannons against the south block entrance of Alubarna. The south block was the most defended and if the Marines could break through it, they'd have taken out a large portion of the Sandbeard defenders and have a direct route to the palace, where Sandbeard had taken shelter. The battle was fierce but in time they managed to break the defense and the battle moved to the city itself. While the admirals were busy dispatching the defenders, Vincent Moral charged through to the palace with a small team, breaking through it's defenses and engaging Sandbeard in combat. The Conclusion After a fierce battle in which the Alabasta Palace was destroyed, Vincent finally managed to defeat Sandbeard with a devestating haki infused punch. Sandbeard was killed by the attack, prompting those who had followed him to flee. After Sandbeard's death the Marines had a relatively easy job rounding up the rest of his crew, of which only three escaped. After the battle, the Marines began helping restoring the capital. Behind the scenes, the true purpose of the war Unknown to the World Government, the entire war was a plot concocted by the leader of the Nova Pirates, the newly crowned Yanko/Emperor, Jarod Krieg, to weaken the strength of the Marines. Sandbeard had been part of a minor crew loosely allied with him who had been born near Alabasta and operated primarily in that area. Jarod sent an agent to give Sandbeard the Suna Suna no Mi in exchange for his taking over Alabasta. The Nova Pirates would also send forces his way to make sure he could pull it off while also keeping an eye on him in case of betrayal. With the WG diverting a large portion of their forces to Alabasta, the four blues was left vulnerable and he used that to send a minor allied crew to stage an assault on East Blue, as it was considered a symbol of peace by the World Government. The attack on East Blue resulted in the occuptation of Shimotsuki Island. In addition to the assault on East Blue, Jarod led an assault on Marineford itself, with it's defenses elsewhere the Marine HQ was vulnerable and Jarod attacked with his strongest forces. The battle devestated the fortress, killing many, including Fleet Admiral Cal, leaving the Marines without leadership. Aftermath In light of the death of Cal, The Gorosei gathered and promoted Vincent Moral to Fleet Admiral, who to their surprise did not dispute it. After the battle the forces of the Marines shipped out to return to their posts, a few left behind to help with recovery. Strengths of both sides World Government On the side of the WG, the Marines had gathered nearly all their strength from the four blues. In addition, the Admirals were mobilized for the battle, giving the Marines a signifigant boost in strength. With the west blue marines had also come Vincent Moral, one of the greatest of marines. Sandbeard Pirates On the side of Sandbeard, the Sandbeard Pirates had managed to gather an alarming amount of pirates, both known and unknown. The majority of these were from the Grand Line, a few even coming from the New World. Those from the New World weren't loyal to Sandbeard, merely interested in the coming fight and the chance of battling the World Government directly. Overall the number of pirates under Sandbeard's control numbered in the thousands. Category:History Category:Establishing Era